This invention relates generally to dental appliances, and more specifically concerns a protective element designed to be used with braces and other dental appliances.
Braces or similar dental appliances typically limit or even eliminate certain activities of the user. These include the playing of certain musical instruments, such as woodwinds and brass, which are difficult to play properly with braces or other appliances, and which if played can result in injury to the mouth tissues of the user. Certain athletic activities, such as soccer and field hockey, are also usually limited or considered risky, again because of the possibility of injury to the mouth of the user.
Further, many people who use braces or other dental appliances are often unable to speak distinctly. Braces sometimes produce slurs or other undesirable speech patterns, which are accentuated when amplified. Hence, those people doing radio or other broadcast work are typically hindered by braces and/or other dental appliances.
Still further, irritations can occur in the user""s mouth because of wires breaking or coming loose, or other failure of the appliance.
It should be understood that the above-described disadvantages could occur not only with braces but other dental appliances, including certain dentures and bridgework, as well. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have temporary (short-term) protection for such braces/appliances which would eliminate or reduce the above disadvantages to permit short-term activities such as sports and/or playing a musical instrument.
Accordingly, the invention is a protective element for use with dental appliances, comprising: a flexible, cloth base portion; and a wax portion which impregnates the base portion to produce a combined article, wherein the combined article is sufficiently flexible and pliable at room temperature to prevent the article from cracking away from the base layer, and wherein the flexibility and pliability of the combined article increases sufficiently by placing the article in the mouth or under warm water to permit convenient application of the article to dental appliances and subsequent adherence thereto during activities of the user involving the mouth.